Are you wanted or what?
by osika
Summary: Lucy, the owner of the "Glossy Moon Cafe" starts to have problems, mainly with money. When she meets a certain pink haired boy, a suspect of a murder he claims he didn't commit, she's in such mental state she'd believe anything to save her cafe. So she tries to solve the crime & get the prize. Goofiness of her partner just tends to get on her nerve sometimes... Victorian era NaluAU
1. The Glossy Moon Cafe

**[A/N]** The point of view will usually be from the "third person" and if that's going to change, I'll write it. It's my first fanfic that I plan to release in chapters, so be forgiving, ok? And I'm sorry for any grammar mistakes, English isn't my native language. Hope you enjoy the story!

* * *

A girl, wearing a dark, brownish hood hiding her face, had brought the lantern she's been holding forward. The source of light gave a warm, yellow glow. She had moved forward a few more steps and in the dark ahead something glimmered.

A content smile crept onto her lips. That must've been it!

* * *

Lucy Heartphilia woke up as usual when the first rays of sunshine broke through thick, bloody red curtains. She looked around the room - nothing out of ordinary. The same cherry wood furniture, comfy, pale pink sofa with brown cushions, her desk crowded with papers, shelves full of books. And the old fashioned, steampunk clock on the wall. So why was she feeling the urge to go somewhere, check something, look for the unusual…?

 _Nevermind_ she thought to herself _I probably ate something bad…_

Lucy propped herself up on her elbows and resting her chin on the sill looked out of the window. It was a rainy, chilly day. No one even walked down the street. Hopefully it was going to change.

She got up, straightening her pink, lacy nightgown, and then stood opposite to the mirror. The girl dressed up in her usual dark, pinkish - red, ankle length dress following the curves of her torso and hanging loosely around her hips. It was sleeveless, with a dark brown, tight, wide belt around her rib cage. It had little steampunk applications alongside the upper and lower edge. The dress had a V-shaped neckline with three layers of light brown lace around it. Lucy also did her hair into a sloppy braid.

As she dressed up, the girl also prepared herself for the day - she quickly ate breakfast, brushed her teeth and locked the door to the apartment while leaving.

Downstairs was her pride and joy - the „Glossy Moon Cafe". It was also steampunk styled, but none of the customers thought it was weird. In fact, that was her trademark. Lots of people just „stop by to look", then „come in for tea". And stayed clients for a long time…

She looked around. The place had that „secret" kind of feeling to it. The walls were half - covered in dark, wooden panels and half - painted in deep, rosy crimson. The tables and chairs were also dark and wooden, with thin legs and twisted ornaments around the edges.

The bar has been set up on barrels, with single polished panel over them and shelves full of different drinks behind it. It stood across from the front door, giving her the view of coming clients. Behind it were the doors leading to her apartment upstairs and the supply base. Yet the best part were clock - inspired ornaments in some places and dim, yellow light adding that king of rusty, „old house" feeling to the place. As of the top-finishing cherry were bloody red cushions on the chairs and stripped curtains in the same color over the windows. Many people that came by told Lucy, that the cafe suits her perfectly.

She agreed in 100 percents.

As usual - again - the girl lit up the lamps in the corners and started putting out the cakes, macaroni and boxes with tea.

Just when she finished and finally sat down to give her feet some relief, the blonde heard a bell ring coming from the front door. Lucy smiled - if customers were coming in this early, there could be a crowd later on. But her smile faltered and her face flushed angrily when she recognized the man walking to the counter.

"What do you want, Hades?"

Hades was her landlord. And his visit first thing in the morning wasn't a good sign. While the apartment above the cafe was fully hers, she couldn't afford buying the space needed for „Glossy Moon".

"I'm only here to tell you, that you owe me not only this month's, but also last month's rent. When are you gonna pay it?"

And that was what she hated about him, she reminded herself. Always straight to the point, no emotions, no mercy.

"I will pay before the month ends. Just give me some time…"

"You have two weeks." he cut her off "And that-" he looked her deep into the eye "-is my last word."

And then she was left alone. In complete silence that was ringing in the air she didn't even notice the single tear, that rolled down her cheek.

* * *

Later that day Lucy felt numb. The voices of customers she heard were coming to her from behind the thick fog clouding her thoughts. Not even Levy, her petite, bookworm friend or Loke, the biggest playboy around that always managed to piss her off with his poor excuse of pick-up lines could go through to her.

And she still had that nasty feeling, like the voice in her head told her: _something is off!_

What was off, she realized after the local had been closed for the night, before going to bed.

Her cousin Michelle, the only part of her still living family that always, everyday contacted her hadn't gave a single sign of being alive for past three days.


	2. The pink-haired jerk

**[A/N]** I didn't know Michelle's surname, so I gave her Lucy's (because they're cousins).

* * *

She panicked. Totally.

But just within her head. Later that sleepless night Lucy sat on the bed, looking with her empty eyes at the wall. She thought of what had just happened.

 _*Flashback: three hours earlier*_

Immediately, as she realized the situation, the girl had ran out of the building. Her steps took her to the center of Magnolia town and soon she found herself staring at the big blackboard in the city hall. It had just been closing for the night, but, seeing the state blonde presented, the guard let her in.

On the board were the names of people that died or had gone missing recently around the area. The name „Michelle Heartphilia" was written in big, bold letters under the „Dead" label.

She just stared. Her eyes were silently draining all the water that was inside of her body, letting it flow on her cheeks and down her neck.

Right now, she just didn't have the strength to do anything besides crying. She froze on her spot, and it seemed that the time stood still. She was forced to go out of the building by the guard, but Lucy hadn't even felt the hands pushing her through the door.

The walk home was one of the longest in her short life.

 _*End of the flashback.*_

* * *

The following morning wasn't much better. The blonde dressed up and ate in mechanical manner.

Downstairs had been a letter, addressed to her. It was a note from Michelle.

She wrote:

 _Dear Lucy,_

 _I know you probably wouldn't approve to this, but recently I got myself a job as a treasure hunter. Our group is going for the first bigger trip, so I'm writing to you that if we succeed, I will share the reward with you._

 _I know what are you saying right now - but you need the money so the cafe goes on. Hadn't that been the big dream of yours since childhood? You cannot let it go like this!_

 _Anyway, I'm going. I'll write when we get back._

 _Wish me luck,_

 _Michelle_

Tears welled up in Lucy's eyes.

"You won't write to me anymore…" a whisper echoed through the empty room.

She must have been crazy. A delicate, well-mannered lady like her - a treasure hunter?!

Lucy got up and brought the letter to her room. She had left it on the desk and looked out of the window, sighing. And that was when it all happened.

Some yelling coming from the outside had picked up her interest. She pushed her upper torso outside, leaning on the windowsill. A strange, pink-haired boy looking her age was running down the street, followed closely by a couple of guards. Suddenly, he took the narrow alley to his left. It was pretty obvious that he knew the city way better than the people chasing him.

The „cops" followed by and disappeared into the alley. When their yells seemed to silence a bit, the said boy came into her view again. He had just hid himself, it appeared.

What really got onto her nerve thou, was the fact that the pinkette seemed obviously content with being chased. In fact, if Lucy remembered correctly, while he'd been running when she saw him the first time, the boy had been laughing. Rather loudly…

The girl had been ripped out of her thoughts when the bell rang downstairs. She quickly dashed to the counter, preparing for incoming client, but at the entrance stood… the boy she had just seen hiding from the guards? What was he doing here?

"Yo!" he called from where he stood "Can you make me something to eat?"

"Of course, what do you want?" she forced herself to stay calm and polite, but curiosity was starting to get the „journalist" out of her.

"Do you have something with meat?" that smile of his was dripping with goofiness. Her brow twitched. Was he that mean or just plain stupid? Did he even got the money for it?

"Sir, this is a cafe. Here you eat sweets and cakes, not meat."

"Oi, what's with all that „sir" attitude? Call me Natsu!" He seriously seemed offended.

"Well then, _Natsu_ , as you can see I only sell sweet things here." he was starting to seriously get on her nerve.

"No meat?" _did he just make a „kicked puppy" face?_

"No meat!" she said rather harshly.

But her features calmed almost instantly when she saw the look he gave her. She bursted out laughing.

"Just why are you laughing?"

"Y-your face!" she chocked out.

"What about it?"

"N-nothing, r-really…" Lucy somehow managed to calm herself down. Now she noticed that, because of the boy, all of her tears seemed to be gone.

"You're a werido…"

"And you're mean! And, by the way, just why is your hair pink?"

"It just is."

"No joking."

"But it just is!"

Their argument over possible hair colors had been cut off by the customers that started to come in.

She had let him stay for the day, until she was less busy with selling and serving. They can pick up the conversation where they had left it then…

She was unaware of how Natsu's appearance affected her - one minute she was welling up with tears an the next: Bang!, she was arguing over the silliest things and laughing.

That was the beginning of a twisted friendship…


End file.
